


Five Times James Took Care of His Friends

by Paradise_of_Mary_Jane



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Gen, James is the mom friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane/pseuds/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...and one time they took care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times James Took Care of His Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing to get me back into the marauders :)

 

i.

 

James and Sirius are in the dorm, lying on their beds, and strangely enough, silent. Usually, they would be planning a prank, or a midnight escapade, or just talking about everything and nothing. But they haven’t been doing that because Sirius is staring at the letter his family sent him with a blank expression on his face. He’s been staring at the letter all day now, with the same blank expression, worryingly silent.

James doesn’t know what to do to make things better.

“Want some biscuits?” he asks uncertainly. “Mum just sent some over and—oomph!”

Sirius has launched himself onto James’ bed and on top of James.

“Biscuits?” Sirius asks, sounding hopeful.

“Did you have to land on top of me, you dunderhead?” James groans as Sirius rolls over and off of James.

“You said biscuits, right?” Sirius says. “Your mum’s biscuits?”

James dutifully reaches into his trunk and retrieves the package of biscuits his mother sent and hands it to Sirius. Sirius grins at him gratefully.

“Want to talk about it?” he asks. Sirius is stuffing his face with the biscuits, already half-finished. The boy really can eat.

“Not really,” Sirius says, shaking his head. At least the letter is safely forgotten on his own bed.

“All right,” James says. He waits for a moment. Two. Then he says, “Now budge up and give me some biscuits, would you?”

Sirius looks up from the biscuit tin, already finished, and gives him a sheepish smile. James sighs.

 

 

 

ii.

 

 

“Wormy maybe you should calm down a bit,” James suggests staring down at the two tables overflowing with Peter’s notes. Peter is on the verge of hyperventilating, his hands shaking, and his fourth cup of coffee discarded on the Common Room floor. “Maybe breathe? Or stop drinking coffee?”

Peter turns to him with a crazed look in his eyes. James is starting to get concerned about his sanity.

“Calm down?” Peter asks in a hiss that absolutely does not make James back down. Of course it doesn’t. He isn’t in Gryffindor for nothing, after all. “How can I calm down when I am about to fail in every single subject?”

James sort of wishes that Remus or Sirius were here instead of him. They’re much better at pulling people out of their exam-induced funks; Sirius through sheer force of personality, and Remus through that patient comforting ways of his. But they wouldn’t be back from detention for hours and someone has to pull Peter out of his anxieties before he dies of a heart attack, or caffeine overdose.

“You’re not going to fa—” James starts but is cut off by Peter making a noise like a dying Kneazle. He is clutching his hair in tight fists that are still shaking, and is staring at James with bulging eyes. James is definitely concerned about his sanity now.

“I will,” he moans. “I’m going to fail and get kicked out of Hogwarts and die.” James thinks that this is a tad too dramatic for the normally timid Marauder so he decides to do the only thing he can think about: he cuffs him on the back of the head.

“Pull yourself together man,” he tells Peter sternly. “You are not going to fail. And you’re most certainly not going to die.”

“But—”

“You. Are. Not. Going. To. Fail,” James says. He glances at the heaps notes on the table and—Transfiguration, really? He resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Honestly Peter, you managed to become an illegal Animagus at fifteen and you still think you’re going to fail Transfiguration.”

“That’s mostly you and Sirius, though,” Peter mumbles. “I barely did anything.”

“Animagus. At fifteen,” James repeats and this time he can’t keep the amusement out of his voice. Peter shoots him a baleful look.

“It’s not funny,” he says.

“Sorry,” James says, totally unrepentant. Peter’s lips are twitching upward. James considers this a small victory. “Now tell me where you’re having trouble so I can help you.”

“Aren’t you going to study?” Peter asks but there’s a real smile on his face so James must be going in the right direction.

“I don’t need to study,” James says automatically. Peter laughs, the tension easing out of his shoulders. He seems to be breathing at a much more even pace now which is definitely good. This mission is a victory.

“Sirius is a bad influence on you,” Peter says but he passes his notes to James, nonetheless.

“Human transformations? Really?” James stares at him incredously. Peter smiles at him sheepishly.

“I understand how to make something permanent,” Peter says. “I just don’t understand how to make sure it can be…y’know…undone.”

A startled laugh escapes James.

“Only you Wormtail,” he says shaking his head. “So anyway, the first thing you need to do is…”

 

 

 

iii.

 

 

“Remus John Lupin you stay in that bed or Merlin help me I will hex you!”

“I think that would be a bit counterproductive Prongs,” Remus says dryly. James shoots him a glare, and Remus, thankfully enough, doesn’t make a move to get up. He shoots James an irritated look, though, which James believes is completely undeserved.

“Madam Pomfrey said that you should stay in bed,” James tells him. Remus rolls his eyes.

“I know James,” he says. “I was there, remember?”

“Don’t get sassy mister,” James says. Remus rolls his eyes again.

“I’m fine,” he says irritably. “Honestly, I’ve had worse and—”

“You are not getting up from that bed until Madame Pomfrey says so,” James snaps. “Or so help me, I will bring Sirius and Peter into this.”

“I don’t have time to be in bed,” Remus mutters, with much less heat. There’s nothing more terrifying than Sirius and Peter united towards a common goal. A fact Remus understands better than anyone. “NEWTs are coming up. I need to study.”

“NEWTs are seven months away,” James says patiently. He sits down on the chair by the bed. Remus really does look terrible, pale face with bags under his eyes. How Remus doesn’t notice that he needs rest is a mystery, especially since he’s usually the sensible one. “I think you’ll survive a night or two without studying.”

“But—”

“No buts,” James says firmly. “I’d offer you a game of Exploding Snap but I know Sirius and Peter will be by in an hour and I thought you could use the sleep.”

Remus sighs. “The three of you aren’t going to let me move from this bed are you?”

“No.”

“I hate you.”

“We love you too Moony,” James says cheerfully. “Now sleep. Please.”

 

 

 

 

iv.

 

 

It doesn’t happen on purpose. One moment, James is duelling with a Death Eater, the next he’s duelling them the muggle way. He manages to get a good punch in and sends the Death Eater crashing through the ground. His mask had fallen in the scuffle and a familiar set of eyes are staring right at James.

James doesn’t really know much about Regulus, other than he’s Sirius brother who is in Slytherin. Of course, there’s the odd story which he appeared in, but Sirius, as a general rule, does not talk about his family. Even more so when he ran away.

Of course, at the moment, the only thing James needs to know about Regulus is that he’s Sirius’ brother.

His waves his wand without thinking about it, lifting the anti-apparition charm around the room.

“Get out of here,” he says.

Regulus stares at him with wide eyes that look exactly like Sirius’. Merlin, he’s young. James knows that, objectively, Regulus is only a year younger than him so he really doesn’t have a right to call him young, but…

Merlin, he’s young.

“I said get out of here.”

“Potter I—”

“Sirius is coming soon,” James snaps. Regulus’ eyes widen even further and it’s a look that’s too familiar for James’ liking. “I don’t think you’d want him to find you hear, so go.”

He tosses the mask back to Regulus and purposefully turns away. A moment later, he hears the crack of disapparition.

He hears footsteps in the distance. James takes a deep breath and straightens his face.

Sirius emerges into the room with a panicked face. He launches at James and engulfs him in an embrace.

“I heard the anti-disapparition charm and—”

“It’s fine Padfoot,” James says. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

James thinks about Regulus’ wide eyes and what would have happened if the brothers met here. He pulls Sirius closer to him.

“I’m sure,” he says.

 

 

 

v.

 

 

James squeezes Lily’s hand and bumps her shoulder.

“You know you don’t have to do this, right,” he says. “If you’re not comfortable…”

“Don’t be silly,” Lily says briskly. “She’s my sister not a boggart. And it’s just dinner with two engaged couples. How bad can it get?”

It gets really, really bad. They run out of the restaurant an hour later, trying to get away from the shrieking Walrus Lily’s sister deigns to call fiancé.

“You know I blame you, right?” Lily says, but there’s a smile twitching at her lips. She’ll probably deny it to her dying day, but James know she was twitching to go the moment The Walrus mentioned the word ‘drills’. “You and your inability to shut up about that damn racing broom.”

“Hey, you fell in love with me because of that damn racing brooms,” James says lightly. “It’s only right I should brag about it.”

“I fell in love with you despite of that damn racing broom,” Lily corrects. “And the arrogance, and the pigheadedness, and…”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” James says with a laugh. “I’m a lucky bastard for having you.”

“Damn right you are,” Lily says. They reach a hidden alleyway, just across the street from the restaurant. Lily stares at the restaurant, just as Dursley and Petunia storm away, with a mixture of wistfulness and regret.

“Hey,” James says, bumping her shoulder. “You’re amazing. If your sister can’t see that, then that’s her loss.”

“I just thought that, since we’re both getting married…” Lily trails off.

“You’re amazing,” James says. He places an arm around Lily. “Probably the most amazing person in the world.”

Lily’s lips twitch minutely.

“Is that so?” she says.

“That is so,” James says. “The most amazing person to ever be amazing in the amazing world.”

Lily laughs and pulls James for a kiss, long and lingering. James sinks into it eagerly.

“You’re pretty amazing, too, you know,” Lily says when she pulls away.

 

 

+1

 

 

“James Potter I swear to Merlin if you get up from that bed I will cut your balls off!”

James lies back down quickly. Lily actually sounds angry enough to do it. On the other side of the room, Remus is smirking at him, no doubt smug about the role reversal, little shit that he is.

“I’d listen to her if I were you, mate,” Sirius says. He too is smirking.

“This isn’t fair,” James complains. “ There are four of you and only one of me.”

“Sort of the point,” Peter points out. “We all know you’re a stubborn ass.”

“Not. Fair,” James repeats.

“James you have just been injured,” Lily says. “You are lying back and resting until you perfectly well again.”

“Do I get a say in the matter?”

“No,” the four of them say at the same time.

“Okay then,” James says, staring at the ceiling. He knows when a battle’s lost.

And—though he’d never admit it out loud—he’s actually glad to have the four of them together in one room. They haven’t done that in a long time now and if it takes James getting grievously injured for it to happen, then so be it.

Wait, does that sound fatalistic? James isn’t fatalistic, he just really misses his friends.

Of course, the tension is still there between them, but whatever. James is grievously injured. He can ignore that sort of thing for the sake of being with his friends when he’s grievously injured.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](https://www.pdfcct.tumblr.com)! Come say hi!


End file.
